


Not Great Men (But Getting There)

by huckleberrysigh



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Adorable Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, BAMF Michelle Jones, BAMF Pepper Potts, Big Brother Harley Keener, Big Brother Peter Parker, Captain America Sam Wilson, F/M, Gen, Harley Keener & Morgan Stark are siblings, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener & Peter Parker are Siblings, Irondad, Kid Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Lesbian Gwen Stacy, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark are Siblings (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pregnant Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers Dies, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark acting as Peter Parkers parental figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:02:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huckleberrysigh/pseuds/huckleberrysigh
Summary: Sam and Wanda move forward to pull on the strings of the tall, robe covered monument. When the fabric falls to the ground, and the monument is revealed, Bucky's head falls. The monument stands proudly, and reads in etched marble; STEVEN GRANT ROGERS.Below it is '1918-2023', and 'Captain America; a great man, and a great Hero'In an AU where Steve Rogers snapped away Thanos' army; Peter, Harley, and Tony learn to be a family. Add in a pregnant Pepper Potts, one former russian spy, one wine-aunt, and two overeager uncles, and stir until emotional trauma settles.
Relationships: Gwen Stacy/Harley Keeners Sister, Harley Keener & Avengers Team, Harley Keener & Harry Osbon, Harley Keener & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Harley Keener & Natasha Romanoff, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Harry Osborn & Gwen Stacy, James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker & Harley Keener, Peter Parker & Harry Osborn, Peter Parker & May Parker, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Natasha Romanoff, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & James "Bucky" Barnes, Tony Stark & Natasha Romanoff
Comments: 11
Kudos: 124





	1. A Hard Day's Night

It started as an 'Internship'.

Then that 'Internship' turned into the real Internship. 

Then the Mentorship.

And finally, as MJ so often comically put it, the 'Custodianship'.

Of course, nothing was official, but Peter couldn't help but realize it. Especially when Ned compared his situation to that of Martha Kings, whose parents divorced in the fourth grade. It had started off innocent, blowing Ned off on the first Wednesday, offhandedly saying it was Mr. Stark's day. 

It was after his second weekend at the Compound that MJ had finally butted in.

'It's called coparenting loser'

Peter had blanked. Exe.Parker has stopped working, and all that jazz. And as awkward as it had begun, he and Mr. Stark and May fell into a sort of routine. Every Wednesday, Happy would pick Peter up from school and take him to the tower, where Peter would spend the night and be dropped off at school by Tony the next morning. Then Tony would get him every second weekend and take him to the Compound. Mr. Stark had always said it was basically empty since the Rogues took off after Germany, so he and Peter kind of lit the place back up again. 

So yeah. From one 'ship' to the other. 

And now this.

Peter swallows it back bitterly, and tries to stand a bit straighter. A bit taller. A bit older. 

Tony's hand rests on his shoulder, almost scared to let go; May stands beside Peter, her arm wrapped around his. Ms. Potts stands on Tony's other side. Behind them are Rhodey and Happy. They're standing farther behind from where Natasha, Bucky, Sam, and Wanda occupy the driveway of the Compound. Sam and Wanda move forward to pull on the strings of the tall, robe covered monument. When the fabric falls to the ground, and the monument is revealed, Bucky's head falls. The monument stands proudly, and reads in etched marble; STEVEN GRANT ROGERS.

Below it is '1918-2023', and 'Captain America; a great man, and a great Hero'.

Peter doesn't even know why he's here. Everyone else who fought against Thanos is, everyone who was Snapped and came back. As if by subconscious thought, Tony's hand curls a little tighter around Peters shoulder. Peter swallows again, forcing back the rising wave of nausea. He can't stand to think about it. How he was dead. Dead and slapped on a monument for five years. Peter squeezes his eyes shut. 

It's only been five days since Thanos was defeated. Similarly, and mistakenly, only five days since he died and was reborn. Crumbling into Mr. Starks arms, and waking to be immediately shuffled onto another battlefield. Peter opens his eyes with a low exhale. He needs a vacation. So do May, and Tony, and Pepper. To think they all grieved him; to think of how Mr. Stark had to tell May. Peter doesn't even notice that he's crying until May squeezes his hand and wipes away his tear. 

The memorial doesn't last much longer. Everyone sort of filters back into the Compound. Peter lingers, so by proxy, so does Tony. Others mill about around them, until eventually, even Bucky Barnes moves to go inside. Peter catches his eye, and he feels a sudden, immense, private guilt. Bucky Barnes looks completely shattered. His eyes are hollow, his cheekbones sunken. Peter still remembers the way he screamed when he realized Steve was dead. He had been inconsolable. 

And yet, he stops when he catches Peters eye. And he smiles. It's sad and cracked, and a sliver if anything, but still there.

"Queens." Bucky whispers, seemingly reliving something. Peter can tell because of how glazed and swimming his eyes are as they pass over him. Peter shuffles his feet oddly and swallows.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes." He manages. The sad, cracked smile doesn't leave Bucky's face. 

"You remind me of him," He says, then leaves. Somehow, it makes Peter feel worse. He waits until Bucky disappears from his vision to break down. His legs give out and he falls to the grass. Tony is with him in an instant, face parallel to Peters, who cries. 

"It doesn't feel real, Mr. Stark." He gasps. "I can't-" He cuts himself off when the wave of nausea returns, and suddenly he's throwing himself forward, vomiting into the grass. Tony's breath hitches. Peter registers Mays perfume before she reaches them, and Pepper follows only a minute later. Tony says something about getting Happy and the car, and Peter cries, because what else can he do. He didn't know Steve Rogers; but he knew the idea, and now - now he's just a kid, dead and reborn, and two of the Earths mightiest heroes are dead. 

He feels Tony's arms when they curl around him, and he registers the clicking of a seat belt around his body; and then he sleeps.


	2. Ready Now

F.R.I.D.A.Y. wakes Tony up at four-thirty in the morning. 

"Sir, it appears there is an adolescent requesting you." She says. Tony grumbles, blearily wiping sleep from his eyes, and turns over, half-checking to see if F.R.I.D.A.Y. had woken Pepper as well. Nope. The love of his life sleeps as peacefully as she can manage. 

"Pete?" He asks, still slightly disoriented. 

"No Sir. Mister Parker-Honorary-Stark is currently asleep in the room of Mrs. Parker." That seems to rouse him. His brow is furrowed as he pulls back his covers, glancing feverishly to Pepper as he exits the room.

"Then who the hell is it?" Tony asks, rubbing his face as he walks down the hall. He rings up a mental list in his mind, grabbing the empty coffee pot as he passes it. May as well since he's already up. What other adolescents does he know? Ned, Scary Spice, Bartons kids?

"He is referring to himself as 'Harley Keener', Sir." 

The coffee pot breaks. Tony's jaw is dropped. Jesus Christ. The kid. The kid he'd been working the past three days trying to find where he'd Snapped back to life.

"Mr. Stark?" He hears after a second, and it draws him from his stupor. 

"Where is he, F.R.I?" He manages. 

"Mr. Stark?" The voice tries again. 

"Outside the doors to the lobby, Sir." 

"Let him in. Send him up in the elevator." Tony breathes. There's a pause. 

"He's on his way, Sir." Tony lets out a relieved exhale and the world comes back to him. 

"Mr. Stark?" Tony jumps, turning his head to see Peter holding pieces of the broken coffee pot. Shit. 

"Pete." He says. "Hey kiddo." He loves this side of Peter, the bleary-eyed, bedheaded teenager. Peter frowns, looking from Peter to the blinking clock on the stove.

"Are you okay?" He asks, and Tony melts a little bit. God he missed his kid. He nods. 

"I think so," He says, and doesn't get the chance to say much more, because in that instant, the elevator dings. Both Tony and Peters heads swivel towards it just in time for Harley Keener, built four years older than Tony remembered, stumbles into the living room. Tony's jaw drops and he's rushing forward. "Jesus!"

"Nope." Harley shivers. "Just me." 

He's completely drenched, head to toe. His hair and clothes are sticking to him and he's got one black eye complete with a blood smear on his opposite cheek. He has nothing with him except for what's on him and a broken phone that he desperately clutches to in his right hand. He sees Peter and nods, who looks on baffled and wide-eyed.

"Hey." He says, and promptly passes out. 

He wakes up in the softest bed he's ever slept in. There's a sort of scratchy, thinly knitted blanket thrown over him, and he hums. He opens his eyes to soft daylight, and there's an IV taped to his hand. He makes a face at it and shifts, looking out the glass door his bed is laid opposite to. He can see Tony on the phone through it, and the woman he knows to be Pepper Potts, watching him pace. Her hair is gently draped over her right shoulder, and she wears a bunchy hoodie with pajama bottoms. Slowly, the events of the morning come back to him. 

"You're awake," A voice says, and Harley jumps, twisting toward the voice next to his bed. There is a boy, looking small and around his age in the chair near his bed. The boy winces. "Sorry." Harley swallows, his mouth feels dry.

"No problem," He says. There's an odd silence. The boy shifts.

"I'm Peter." He says then, and Harleys head tilts. He takes in his appearance; Hello Kitty pajamas and a faded MIT sweatshirt. Presentable.

"Harley," He replies. Peter nods. 

"Mr. Stark told me about you," He says next, making Harley raise a brow. "About the Mandarin and Rose Hill." Harley nods. 

"Bum-fuck, Tennessee." He agrees. The corner of Peters lip quirks. Harley shifts in his bed, wincing slightly. "So, you Tony's kid or something?" He asks. Peter flushes, and Harley is quick to note it. 

"Or something," He says. Harley opens his mouth to say something else when Tony bursts in through the door. 

"Oh thank God you're awake." He says, phone still pressed to his ear, and then hums something. Harley grins. "I'll call you back." Tony says, and hangs up the phone, tossing it half-heartedly to Peter before moving to Harley's bedside.

"Tony!" Harley smiles. The Mechanic doesn't return it, instead, his eyes are still charting Harley's face. 

"So that was your mother I was just talking to." Harley's smile falls. 

"Please don't make me go back," Harley says, and Tony's head drops. When it lifts he sighs. 

"Can you give us a minute or two, Pete?" He asks, and Peter nods, smiling once more at Harley before getting up and going out to meet Pepper. Tony watches him go, then turns back to Harley. 

"Kid-"

"I don't know how to live there anymore," Harley says, and suddenly he's blubbering; face red and sweaty, and tears rolling down his cheeks. His vision goes blurry, and he doesn't know if it's the panic or the tears. "My Dad came back and my sister is the same age as me and I don't know where I fit anymore." Tony sits on the edge of Harleys bed and pulls him into his chest. 

"Breathe," He shushes, and slowly but surely, Harley is able to see without going cross-eyed. "Kiddo, that's when you ask for help." Tony says, and Harley figures he's close to tears as well. 

"I can't," Harley sniffles. Tony pulls away from him and looks into his eyes, hands tight on his shoulders. 

"You have to," Tony says, firmly, and behind his eyes are a type of fear Harley's only ever seen his Mother wear. "You have to, because otherwise, you give me, your mom, and your sister heart attacks when you show up half-starved, drenched to hell, and sporting a black eye." Tony makes sure to enthuse the last part, and Harley feels suddenly guilty. He drops his head and wipes his face, wincing when his hand brushes over his bruised eye. 

"I'm sorry," Harley sputters. "I planned to come straight here, but then I got mugged, and then it starting raining-" It isn't long until the tears return to stream down his face. Tony pulls a grimace. 

"You're fine," He says. "Christ, how did you even get here?" Harley sniffles.

"Hitchhiked."

"For ten hours?! God, kid." He sighs, and blinks away watery eyes. "Next time, you call. Okay?" Harley nods stiffly. 

"Yes, sir." He says, and Tony sighs again. 

"C'mere," He mutters, and then Harley is wrapped in his arms again. When they pull apart again, Harley's face is still red and blotchy, but dryer. 

"So, what happens now?" He asks, sounding croaky. Tony stands and fetches him a glass of water before answering. 

"I just sent a jet to collect your folks, so they should be here in about four hours." Tony says. "After that, I'll talk to your mom; try to figure out how we can help you." Harley nods and sniffs again. 

"Okay." He says. Tony nods and claps his hands together. 

"Right, what do you say we get you up to the penthouse?"

The penthouse was nothing at all like Harley was expecting, and that's justified. He reckoned Pepper Potts (no, Potts-Stark now), and the famed Happy Hogan would be there; maybe even Colonel Rhodes. What he didn't expect to see was a second woman buttering toast, nor the same kid that was in his room when he woke up. Harley paled a bit when he realized that they were having breakfast, and wondered just how he fit into whatever family Tony had built. The woman and Peter both looked over to them as Tony led him into the room, and Peter lit up. 

"Hey Harley," He greets, a piece of peanut-butter toast in his hand. Harley nods. 

"Peter," He says, somewhat oddly. The woman nursing the toast smiles at him. 

"Harley Keener?" She asks. Harley nods and rubbed his hands together. 

"Yes, ma'am." He answers. The woman smiles even brighter. 

"Oh Tony, I like him," She says, then leans across the island and smacks Peters arm. "Why don't you ever call me ma'am?" Peter yelps and frowns at the woman.

"May!" He whines. The woman, May, grins and shakes her head. She looks back up to him. 

"Do you like Peanut-Butter, Harley?" She asks. Harley swallows and shakes his head, feeling more at ease. 

"No ma'am, I'm allergic." He says. May nods. 

"How about jam?" Harley nods, and she mirrors it a moment later before whirling back around to the toaster. Tony claps Harley's shoulder. 

"I'm gonna go get Pep, feel free to sit with Pete." Tony says, and Harley nods. 

"I don't bite," Peter says, and Harley quirks a grin. Tony leaves the room and Harley moves to slide into the chair next to Peter. 

"Nice pajamas," He says, and Peter grins. 

"They're from Mr. Stark." He informs, and Harley grins.

"The man has impeccable taste." He says, and this time it's Peter who grins. A plate is placed in front of him then, met with a piece of toast, and a paired glass of OJ. "Thank you, ma'am." He says to May, and she smiles. 

"Just May is fine." She says, and Harley smiles. May reminds him of his mother. Harley takes a bite of his toast. 

"So how do you know Mr. Stark?" He asks. Peter looks to May, who shrugs. 

"I'm Spider-Man." Harley nearly chokes. 

"No fucking way!"


	3. Hey Brother

Peter decided he liked Mrs. Keener from the moment she stormed into the penthouse. 

'Tony Stark!' She shouted, eyes blazing as her head swivels around the room. Her gaze fell on Tony, mid-sip, and he nearly choked. Peter exchanged a glance with Harley, who Mrs. Keener hadn't noticed was on the couch no more than five feet or so away from her. Harley shrugged and goes back to watching the TV. Tony lowers his mug as Mrs. Keener stalks toward him. She did look quite intimidating; curly dirty-blonde hair falling from it's ponytail, and bag hanging from her elbow as she stormed in all her four-foot-nine glory. 

'Caroline.' Tony replied. Her finger waved. 

'Don't be nice with me Stark! Where's my son?!' Harley cleared his throat then, and Mrs. Keeners head snapped toward the sound so suddenly Peter is shocked she didn't give herself whiplash. 

'Hey Ma.' Harley said, face flushed. Harley's sister and Mr. Keener came through behind her, and Peter saw how apt Harley was to turn away. 

Tony had led Mrs. and Mr. Keener to one of the conference rooms a few minutes later, and left Peter and Harley to entertain Harley's sister. She had seemed nice enough, though there was noticeable tension between the siblings. All in all, Peter was content in the company of Billie Keener. She excused herself after about thirty minutes to use the washroom, and Harley's shoulders lost all tension as soon as she left. Peter nudged Harley's foot with his own. 

'You okay?' He asked. Harley met his eyes, and Peter wasn't sure there was anything behind them. 

'Yeah.' He said. 

That was earlier in the morning; around nine. Now it was four pm, and Pepper was preparing dinner for them and the Keeners. Harley had locked himself in Peters room. Peter was outside. He'd already knocked. 

"Harley," He sighs. "Open the door." 

"Go away, Peter."

"You're in my room." Peter stresses. He hears grumbling then, and he perks slightly. There's shuffling, and then the door clicks. Peter blinks at it for a moment before turning the knob. He slips inside and closes the door behind him again. He turns, and tilts his head when he sees the sight before him. Harley is sitting cross-legged in the centre of his bed, with his duvet wrapped around his head. 

"Gosh, you really are like a dog." Is all Harley says. Peter grins at that, and moves to the bed. 

"Scooch," He says, and then sits beside Harley. He pulls his legs into his chest and rests his elbows on them. There's silence between them; Harley looking at Peter, and Peter looking at the tuft of hair that peeks through the blanket on Harley's forehead. "So..." He says then. "Why'd you lock yourself in my room?" Harley raises a brow, and Peter challenges it with the quirk of one of his own. 

"I don't have my own to lock myself in." Harley says, and Peter rolls his eyes. 

"Glad you're getting your snark out before Mr. Stark comes in," He says, and Harley blinks at the same time the knob turns. Both boys look to the door as Tony pokes his head in, and Harley whips his head back to Peter with a gobsmacked expression. Peter lifts a finger to his ear. 

"Super hearing." He says, and Harley nods slowly. Tony slips inside the room much like Peter had, and closes the door without latching it. He perches on the foot of the bed. 

"I hear you're protesting supper." He says. Harley nods. 

"I'm fasting indefinitely. Food is irrelevant and I will now gather nutrients through photosynthesis." 

"Mood," Peter says, and flushes when Tony fixes him with a look. He glances back to Harley with a sort of sigh.

"Guess I'll tell you now," He says, and Harley perks. He shares a glance with Peter, that confirms he doesn't know what Tony's about to go off on. "This is a bad idea; I can already tell by that weird telekinesis thing you two are doing." Harley rolls his eyes.

"Tell me what?" He asks. He adds; "Peter can stay." after Tony glances to him, to which Peter whacks his arm. 

"It's my room!"

"Your mom and I talked, and she doesn't think that you've been faring very well since coming back." Tony continues as though Peter hadn't spoken. Harley scoffs; deflects. "So we decided that since you came here in the first place, you'll stay with me for the first few months." Harley's jaw drops. In his peripheral, he sees Peter do the exact same thing. 

"What?" Harley breathes. 

"You'll live with me and Pepper in New York. Here at the tower." Tony says, and Harley thinks he might cry. "Your folks and your sister will come up and visit every second weekend; the ones Pete isn't over. You'll be enrolled in school once all that get's settled, Midtown, same as Pete, and you'll be attending therapy once ever two weeks." Harley nods, and he really is crying.

"Yes," He gasps, and Peters arms wrap around him. "Oh my God, thank you." Tony smiles. 

"Sweet," Peter says, and Harley swears Peter's voice sounds a bit wobbly too. "I always wanted a brother." Harley laughs and elbows him. They both register it as a joke; but Harley's chest becomes all warm and fuzzy the moment Peter says it. 

"Yeah," He sniffles, and meets Tony's eye. "Me too." 

A month passes, and soon it's Peter and Harley's first day back to school. May had let Peter stay over at the tower the night before so Peter could help Harley adjust, and then the boys would go back to May and Peters apartment after school. Tony drops them off, and glances at them in the mirror. 

"Anything you need, you call me, okay?" He asks. The boys answer him in unison, and Tony would be lying if that didn't terrify him at least a little bit. He's got to admit, he figured they'd get on like a house on fire, but he hadn't expected this. He didn't expect them to be having wordless conversations within only hours of knowing each-other, and he hadn't them to become so attached in only a month. Rhodey had taken to calling them 'The Twins', and even though both boys did their best to appear embarrassed, Tony could see the way they glowed under the nickname. Even looking at them now, Tony can't tell whose shirt is whose. Peter goes to open the door and Tony blurts; "Text me when you get to Mays!" Peter chuckles and Harley rolls his eyes. 

"Yeah, yeah," He says, crawling over Peter. "Sure thing dad." He enthuses the word 'dad' in a way that implies it was sarcastic, but a sudden warmth blooms in Tony's chest. He feels his heart hammering as he watches Peter wrestle with Harley, and then they're both out of the car and closing the door. Tony barely hears them saying goodbye, and then he's watching them run up the stairs to meet Ned and MJ, who stand waiting for them at the doors. Harley trails behind Peter a little uncertainly, and their arms are entwined, but still makes a point of turning his head and waving before they go inside. 

Tony speeds home and bursts into the penthouse. 

"Pepper!" He calls. "Harley called me DAD." He shouts, looking around first the kitchen and then the living room. "He was joking but-" He stops when he sees Pepper sitting on their bed, looking a bit pale. "Pep?" Her eyes lift and meet his. 

"He's not wrong." She breathes, and that only makes Tony more nervous. He moves into the room and kneels in front of her. There's a small frown on his face. 

"Pep?" He asks, and a tear falls down her face when she smiles. 

"I'm pregnant."

Tony faints.


	4. Girls/Girls/Boys

"Tony?" 

"Tony?" 

"Pepper go get a cloth - Tony?" He blinks blearily. May Parkers face swims into his vision. 

"May?" He garbles, and then he's leaning over the carpet and vomiting. 

"Shit, Tony-" He groans in response and lets himself fall back onto the floor, his head feels like it's pounding, and slowly the events come back to him. 

"Pep?" He rasps. 

"Tony! Tony, oh my God, are you okay?" She moves in front of his face so quickly he has to swallow back another bout of nausea. 

"Pregnant?" He asks. There's silence, and his eyes readjust. Pepper and May are both in front of him, and Pepper has a crooked smile. 

"Yeah," She says. May smiles as well. 

"I already knew." She says. 

"Wow." Tony breathes, a dopey smile coming over his face. Then he blinks and it vanishes. He eyes May. "How'd you get here so fast?" He asks. May and Pepper both laugh. 

"I was coming to collect some of Peters laundry," She says. Tony makes a face.

"Better be careful." He says. "I don't know-"

"What's Peters and what's Harley's?" May guesses and laughs. "Me neither. I really don't know how we went from one teenager to two." Tony chuckles. 

"Me neither," He says, and the dopey smile returns. "Oh and now a baby too. My baby. My baby and Peppers baby. Wow."

May and Pepper help him into the living room, and May makes him something to eat while Pepper cleans up his mess in the bedroom. His head is still swimming, but among it; there's calm. Then Pepper comes back and answers all his rapidfire questions.

"How old is it?"

"...it's not anything old Tony. It isn't even born yet." Tony's eyes bulge. 

"I'm gonna kill this kid," He breathes. "I know nothing about babies." Pepper laughs.

"I'm eight weeks. About two months."

"What is it?"

"I don't know yet; we can't find out until they're sixteen weeks."

"Do the boys know?" Pepper makes a face.

"Tony, do you really think I would tell Peter and Harley before you?"

"Not really." He swallows. "So what do we do?" Pepper smiles warmly at him. 

"May set up an appointment with her friend Harriet for us next week," She says. Tony nods and looks to May, who's been watching them with a mug of tea and a warm smile.

"Thanks," He says, and May beams. 

"It's all self-indulgent." She teases. "I already have an advantage as the only Aunt; I'm aiming for favorite extended relative."

May returns home within the hour, and decides to make a lasagna for her and the boys to have for dinner. She turns on some old Avril Lavigne album as she works, and she smiles to herself. A baby. She hasn't been around one of those since Peter was born, and she's filled with warm nostalgia. She puts the lasagna in the oven and sets a timer, turning down the music as she wanders into Peters closet. There's a forgotten Rubbermaid bin stuffed behind old clothes. She digs it out and drags it out to the living room when she discovers it's too heavy for her to lift. She double checks to make sure she set the timer, then sits down on the couch and opens the bin. Her heart catches at the first item. It's the most recently added item; Ben's old jacket, brown leather. Peter had never wanted it, opting instead for Bens watch; which had a faulty hand he refused to fix. May lifts it out gingerly and smiles sadly at it. She folds it in her lap and keeps it there as she shifts through the rest of the stuff. 

Peter and Harley come home when she's about a quarter through it, cheeks streaked with tears and a smile across her lips. Peter drops his bag at the door and hugs her shoulders. Harley moves around the couch to sit next to her. 

"What is this stuff?" He asks. May sniffs as she answers. Peters arms leave her shoulders and he moves around the coffee table to sit opposite her. He kneels on the floor and looks in the bin, grinning brightly. 

"Mostly stuff from when Peter was a kid... among other things." Her hand moves back to the jacket as she speaks, unknowing. Harley's gaze follows her hands and his eyes bulge. 

"Is that genuine brown leather?!" He exclaims, and both May and Peter are taken aback. May's heart hammers in her chest suddenly, and Peters eyes are wide. Numbly, May nods. Harley only looks more excited. He stares at the jacket and flicks his gaze back to hers. 

"May I?" He asks. Peters jaw drops, and May is quick to follow. She nods wordlessly once more, not quite knowing why. Harley whistles as she passes the leather into his hands. 

"Damn - this is damn fine." He says, and catches Mays eye as he traces the seams. "I haven't seen leather like this since I came to New York; and lemme tell ya', this leather came from one thick cow." May blinks at the appearance of Harley's accent. Almost numbly, she nods, though she doesn't actually know. 

"You can try it on," She says, and freezes as soon as it slips from her lips. Harley doesn't seem to notice, and his eyes widen with excitement. Peter looks just as bewildered as Harley jumps from the couch and slips into the jacket. Mays breath hitches the same her heart first did, and her eyes trace Harley's torso. The sleeves are a perfect length, and the upturned collar barely brushes Harley's jawline. He smooths it out with a small grin and looks up to May. His grin falls. 

"Ms. Parker?" He asks. She gasps a little and lifts her hand suddenly, wiping feverishly at her eyes. 

"Just May, sweetheart," She breathes, and looks back at him with a watery smile. "It looks really good on you." She says. Harley is already moving to inch out of it. 

"You should keep it." Peter says, and when May looks at him; Peter looks unperturbed. Harley looks between the two of them again. 

"Are you sure?" He asks, and Mays heart wants to break all over again. She smiles and nods. 

"Yes; it's doing no one any good being stuck in a box," She says, and Harley nods awkwardly. 

"Oh my God." Peter breaks the silence. Harley and May look back to him and May sputters out a sudden laugh. Peter looks absolutely elated. He's squeezed his hand into a toy gauntlet, and is holding a childrens Iron Man helmet in the other. Harley cackles. 

"Holy shit Parker!" He wheezes. "Does Tony know about those?" Peter's face turns stoic. 

"No." 

"He should," Harley says, grinning, and then he's leaping over the coffee table. Peter yelps and scrambles away, haphazardly arranging the mask on his face as Harley chases him around the apartment. May laughs, and the apartment feels more alive than it has in years. 

They eat lasagna and talk about school before Happy collects Harley.

("MJ called us obnoxiously codependent." Peter says.

"Are you saying she's wrong?" Harley deadpans.)

The next week, May is seated in the waiting room of the OB office in her hospital. Her navy scrubs set her apart from everyone else in the waiting area, and she flips through a magazine halfheartedly. She looks up at the sound of a door opening and jumps to her feet. She meets Pepper and Tony before they reach the waiting room. 

"Well?" She asks, looking between their faces. Pepper grins. 

"He cried."

"I knew it."

"Hey!" Tony admonishes, and if May looks now, she can see the dried streaks. He loops his arm through Mays like he has Peppers and leads them both past the waiting room and into the hall. May just laughs. They stop near a vending machine at the end of the hall and Pepper reaches into her purse. Tony unloops his arm from Mays and she turns to face them. Pepper is holding out a two by three black and white photograph, and May feels as though she could melt. She flicks her gaze to Tony before taking the outstretched photo, and she let's out an 'oh' noise. The baby can just barely be made out this early, but her trained eye finds it easily, and she moves her fingernail over it. 

"Who's crying now," Tony mocks, and May laughs.

"Fuck off, Stark." Pepper laughs. 

"Ooh, you kiss your nephew with that mouth?" May laughs again as she shoos them down the hall. She looks back to the photograph once they've turned the corner and smiles again.

Yes, she decides. A baby will do this family good.


	5. Turning Out

Harley raises a brow as Peter throws his bag down. He watches with piqued interest as Peter slides into the seat across from him and hides his head in his arms. Harley frowns slightly. Ned sits down beside him and MJ sits beside Peter, opposite Ned. Harley moves his leg out and nudges Peters foot with his own. Peter loops his ankle around Harley's as a response. 

"Gross," MJ remarks. "The two of you are like an old married couple." Peter lifts his head and sticks his tongue out at her, to which she copies. 

"Are you feeling okay, dude?" Ned asks, and Harley glances to him. Peter sighs and nods, reaching out and tearing off a corner of Harley's sandwich. 

"Yeah, just a rough patrol last night," Peter says. 

"I'll say," Harley adds. "You were out 'til two in the morning." MJ and Peter fasten Harley with the same expression.

"You track my suit logs?" Peter asks, somewhat incredulously. Harley scoffs. 

"Damn right I do," He says. "Can't let my only brother masquerade as a spandex swinging twink without keeping an eye on him."

"Har har," Peter sasses back, and nabs another piece of Harley's lunch; two carrot sticks. 

"Isn't that what Ned is for?" MJ wonders. Ned shakes his head.

"No, I'm the Guy in The Chair. I help Peter with all the technical stuff; Harley is like a glorified supervisor."

"Nedward is right," Harley continues. "He's the Becky to Peter's Sue, while I'm the Santana to his Brittany." Peter glares.

"Did you just call me dumb?" He asks. MJ waves it off.

"Never mind that; did you just make a GLEE reference?" She demands. Harley winks.

"Believe it," He says, and the bell rings. 

When the final bell goes, Harley opens the passenger seat of the Audi and wrinkles his nose.

"Rhodey?" He asks. Rhodey fixes him with an unimpressed glare. 

"Am I that uncool?" 

"Rhodey!" Peter exclaims, crawling over the backseat to hug the mans shoulders. His smile returns. 

"Tony sent me to pick you boys up; he's got a surprise back home for you," He says. Harley perks as Rhodey pulls away from the curb. 

"Is it a tiger?"

"Harley why-"

"I bet he bought us Audi's." Harley continues. Peter shakes his head.

"Too obvious," He says. "It's probably a puppy or something." Rhodey raises a brow and meets Peters eye in the mirror. Peter brightens at Rhodeys expression. "Holy shit was I right?!" Rhodey nods his head back and forth as though contemplating. 

"Close," He says, and the boys erupt with excitement. Rhodey grins as he pulls into the garage. The boys don't bother with grabbing their backpacks, leaving Rhodes to loop one over each arm as Harley jams his hand against the elevator. 

"Rabbit." Peter says. Harley shakes his head.

"Minion." 

"Shut up." Rhodey chimes as the doors close. The boys continue to fire off guesses at each other for the ride before bursting into the penthouse. Happy has strung up a banner that reads congratulations, and Pepper wears a box-like pink dress. Tony and May stand on either side of her, and Happy stands next to May. Rhodey drops the boys' backpacks and loops an arm around Tony's shoulder. Harley looks as though he's going to start vibrating with the way his feet rock back and forth. Peter is looking between the five adults expectantly. 

"What is it?" He asks, eyes shining. May grins and pulls a shirt out from behind her back. Peter tilts his head as he looks at it. "Iron-Son?" He reads. He exchanges a look with Harley as Tony pulls an identical shirt out from behind his back. Harley smiles oddly. 

"I love the matching shirts, don't get me wrong..." He says. 

"But we were expecting something a little more..." Peter trails off as Pepper pulls a third shirt from behind her back. Harley's eyes go wide. 

The shirt is black with white writing; similar to Harley and Peters, but is barely the width of Tony's bicep. On it reads the words 'Iron-Daughter'. Peters jaw drops before he launches into a squeal. 

"Oh my GOD!" He squeals, hopping in place and yanking on Harley's arm. 

"This is so much better than a puppy." Harley breathes, eyes wide and excited. Tony turns and hits Rhodey's shoulder.

"You told them my daughter was a puppy?" He asks in mock horror. Rhodey yelps and laughs.

"Pete guessed!" He says. 

"And you didn't dispute it?" Tony gasps. May laughs before turning back to Harley and Peter. His chest warms at the sight of Peters eyes growing teary.

"Oh honey," She coos. Peter sniffles and Harley turns to him with a smile. Three tears have leaked down his cheeks. 

"You soft, Parker?" He teases, even though he knows the answer is 'abso-fucking-lutely'. 

"Shut up, Keener," Peter breathes and wipes his face, smile growing wide. Pepper giggles. 

"Don't worry Peter," She says. "Tony fainted when I told him." She winks to May as Happy guffaws. Tony sputters and Harley laughs. 

"You didn't tell me that!" Happy accuses. 

"When is she due?" Harley asks, eyes shining as he drags Peter toward Pepper. 

"About six months," Pepper smiles. Peter goes suddenly stoic. 

"I don't think I can last that long," He says honestly, and May laughs.

"Trust me, it'll go by faster than you think," She says warmly. Pete smiles and Harley turns back to Pepper. 

"What's our schedule like?" He asks. 

"Doctors appointments every two weeks, just because I am a bit older," Pepper says and Peter nods sagely. "But we don't really have one." Harley blinks and mentally steps back. 

"Pep, with all my respect for you, trust me when I say you'll want a schedule," Harley says. "You'll want to start the nursery around the fifth month mark - that's what my Mom did with Bill and-" Harley cuts off his animated launch and something glasses over his eyes. Peter frowns. 

"Harls?" He asks. Harley turns to him and blinks. 

"Yeah," He says and blinks again. "Yeah I'm just... I think I might go lay down." Pepper frowns and puts a hand on Harleys shoulder. 

"Are you sure, sweetie?" She asks, and Harley's heart pangs a bit. He nods stiffly. 

"Yeah," He says, and slips his arm out of Peters before retreating to his room. He doesn't bother ignoring the worried glances that pass him by. He closes the door behind him and starfishes on his bed. He stars at the popcornless ceiling and sighs. 

"F.R.I?" He asks. 

"Yes?"

"Call 'Billie-bean'," He sighs. He rolls onto his stomach as the ringing of the dial fills the room. He stares at his bedside table; empty. 

"Harley?" His heart lifts, if even a little bit. 

"Hey Billie," He says, trying to sound cheerful. 

"Hey, you okay?" She asks, and Harley smiles sadly. 

"Yeah... Pep's pregnant, so they surprised Pete and I today," He trails. 

"Wow," He can hear her smiling through the phone. "That's great; having a kid-sister will do you some good." It sounds pained, and Harley sniffles. A tear runs down his face. 

"I'm sorry I left," He chokes. Billie is silent on the other end. He hears her take a shaky breath.

"It's okay," She whispers.

"I'm sorry I ran away and found a new family," He cries. 

"It's okay." She says again.

"I'm not trying to replace you I swear-"

"Harley, it's okay," She sniffs. "It's okay, Mama and I can share you with Stark." It pulls another sob from his throat.

"I'm so sorry Billie-bean." He cries. 

"You aren't ready," Her voice is wavering, and he hears her breath hitch. "It's okay; I can wait until you are."

"I love you," He gasps. He imagines her nodding. 

"I love you too," She whispers, and the line goes dead. Harley sobs; curls into a ball and fists his hands against his head. He wants to scream.

"Harley you're in distress, shall I alert Mr. Stark?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asks. Harley shakes his head and wails.

"Peter," He begs. 

"Alerting Mr. Parker-honorary-Stark." Harley chokes a feeble laugh and tucks his knees beneath his chin. He hears Peter's padding footsteps rushing down the hall. 

"Harley?" He calls through the door. Harley sniffs and uncurls himself slightly. 

"Come in," He whimpers. He doesn't watch Peter slip inside the room, but he feels the dip of the bed when Peter clambers on. Harley rolls himself over to face Peter. He sniffles again. "Hey." Peter tries to smile. 

"Hey," He says, curling to match Harley. "You feeling okay?" Harley nods.

"Better," He acquiesces, and Peter nods. 

"Alright," He whispers. "We can work with 'better'." There are no more words exchanged between them and Tony has to wake them up for dinner. 

Harley seems to have cheered up immensely; nothing a remedy of Rhodeys burgers and Mays embarrassing childhood stories of Peter can't fix. He and Peter put on their shirts and revel in Rhodey calling them 'the Twins', and after a movie, May shows them a picture she'd taken of both boys kissing either side of Peppers swelling stomach. Peter claims to hate it.

Harley uses it to fill his empty bedside table.


	6. Voice Inside My Head

MJ corners him a month after the official pregnancy announcement. Peter raises a brow as he tucks his Physics textbook into his bag. MJ stares back steel-gazed. 

"Can I help you?" He asks. MJ's lip quirks slightly, and he knows it's because of his growing confidence. Harley seems to have had that effect on him. Nonetheless, MJ shifts her bag, which hangs off her one shoulder, and leans her free one against the lockers. 

"Pepper Potts is pregnant," She says. Peter nods. 

"She is." He agrees, gaze fixated on MJ even as he closes his locker. She juts her chin out slightly and narrows her eyes. 

"You already knew," She says. "You and Keener." Not a question, but a statement. Peter nods again.

"They told us last month; got us matching shirts and pulled out one that said 'Iron Daughter'." He says. MJ grins, but it's quick, and she's quick to shake back into her steely-eyed stare. Peter raises a brow. He's seen this look before. It wears MJ's face most often as Decathlon Captain; it reads 'there's something I want, and I'm going to get it'. Peter quickly learned to be intimidated by it. 

"I want to meet her." She tells him. Peter's eyes go wide and then he's pressing a hand against her mouth. MJ barely has time to yelp as he leans mere inches from her face. 

"How did you know the baby's a girl?" He whispers. MJ bites his fingers and he yelps, shaking out his hand as he jumps back. 

"I want to meet Pepper Potts, dumbass!" She enthuses. Peters head tilts to the side; shocked, and he blinks. 

"Oh." He says, like the dumbass MJ had accused him of being. A grin slips onto her mouth, and she forgets she was annoyed with him. 

"Yeah." MJ says. "Oh." She says 'Oh' in a tone Peter recognizes as being meant to mock him. MJ watches him shift his weight. 

"You could come over?" He says, then cringes. "Or-"

"Tonight?" MJ asks, as though already decided. Peter nods, hoping he doesn't look as stupid as he does in his minds eye. MJ nods, gives him a once-over, then nods again. "Have someone pick me up for six." She says, and leaves with the trill of the lunch bell. Peter blinks, looking blankly to the space she had previously occupied. 

Harley comes up behind him, clapping his hands on Peters shoulders. He wears a big grin.

"What's up Peanut?" He asks, because that's Harley's thing. Nicknames and full-body laughter and being a big ball of Tennessee sunshine. His head dips into Peters line of vision and Peter swallows, meeting Harley's eyes. 

"I think I accidentally invited MJ to dinner." He says. Harley blinks, then he's nodding. 

"Solid," He says. "Will you need a condom?" Peters ears burn crimson. 

"HARLEY!" He yelps, and then his brother is laughing.

At 6:17, Peter stands on the stairs to Stark Tower. The sky is dim, and the air is nice. The city is quiet by his standards, and if he strains he can hear Peppers and Tony’s heartbeats from the penthouse. He’d been working the past two hours to help arrange dinner, since he had accidentally organized it. He and Tony cooked pasta whilst firing back and forth at each-other in Italian, (Harley would chime in whenever the dialect hinted at a word of Spanish he knew). 

He then spent thirty minutes trying to decide what to wear,

(“May he’s absolutely precious; I’ll send pictures.”

“Tony!!!”)

And then another ten attempting to bribe Harley into not wearing his cowboy boots. 

(“Peanut, these shoes are my soul. You simply can’t ask me to abandon my entire self and construct on the basis of image.”

“I’ll do your chores for the weekend.”

“Deal.”)

Now he stands, fifteen minutes after Happy left, and waits. He hears the buzzing of the motor, and times his walk so he reaches the bottom of the stairs just as Happy pulls up. MJ steps out, flashes him an ‘happy-by-MJ’s-standards’ smile, and Peter meets Happy’s eyes through the open passenger window. 

“Thanks Happy,” He says, who shrugs, then nods. 

“Buzz me when you’re finished, kid,” He says. Peter goes to nod, but MJ shakes her head as she reaches his side. 

“Nah,” She says. “I’m taking the subway.” She says. Peter meets her eyes with a small frown. 

“Are you sure?” He asks. “Happy really wouldn’t mind.” He says, ignoring Happy’s look of indignance and repeated mutter of ‘I am head of security; I am not a glorified babysitter’. 

MJ shakes her head. 

“No offence Harold,” She says. “But I only generally take advantage of the patriarchy once a day, so maybe next time.” She blinks routinely, and Peter looks blankly between her and Happy. He mouths ‘Harold?’, at the same time Happy rolls his eyes. He drives away without a goodbye. 

Peter turns to MJ and rubs his hands together. 

“So…” He says, then swallows at her quirked smile. “Inside?”

They stop at the elevator, and Peter looks at her. She catches his eye. 

“You look really pretty.” Peter says, somewhat nervous, and she raises a brow. She’s wearing a mustard-yellow floral dress with leggings and doc-martens. She’s scrunched the sleeves around her elbows.

“Therefore I have value?” She asks, and glances up as the elevator opens. Peter pales as she steps inside. He starts shaking his head, and she turns to look at him. 

“No, that’s not what-” He starts, when she blurts; “I’m messing with you.” There’s a small smile on her lips and Peter breathes out a similar one. She looks him up and down as he steps into the elevator beside her. 

“You look pretty too,” She says, tilting her head slightly, and Peter grins. The elevator doors close. 

“To the penthouse, Mr. Parker-Honorary-Stark?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asks, and MJ’s eyebrows shoot up. Peter nods, glancing up. 

“Yes please, F.R.I.,” He says, then catches MJ’s eye. “She’s Mr. Starks AI.” He explains, and she nods. 

“Impressive.” She muses, and Peter smiles, becoming more eased as the conversation progresses. 

“Just wait,” He says. “I’ve been talking you up to Pepper for the past hour.” He grins, but it falters when he notices MJ paling. “MJ?” He asks, and she meets his eyes. They’re wide and panicky. 

“Oh my God,” She says, and Peter blinks. “Pepper Potts is upstairs. Oh my—Oh God, Peter, I don’t think I can do this.” She looks at him wildly and his eyes widen. 

“Okay; F.R.I., stop, please.” The elevator halts wordlessly and MJ jolts slightly. Peter reaches forward and takes hold of her wrists, rubbing small circles against her skin with his thumbs. “MJ, breathe.” He says. She shakes her head. 

“This was a bad idea.” She says, and his heart pangs at her sudden vulnerability, but he shakes his head. 

“No it’s not.” He says. “Trust me; Pepper Potts is only human, and she cannot wait to meet you.” He lowers his voice. “MJ you’re every bit as incredible as she is, and she is over the moon waiting for us; she even made Harley shower.” This makes her lips quirk, and he hears her heartbeat calm at the same time she begins to loosen her shoulders. “Okay?” He asks, and she nods, gnawing on her lip the same as she did when she first asked him about meeting Pepper. He raises a gentle brow, and she nods more confidently.

“Okay.” She says, and Peter nods. 

“Okay.” He echoes, then glances up. “Take us up F.R.I..” 

When they get to the penthouse, Harley's gaze falls immediately to Peter’s left hand wrapped protectively around MJ’s right, and they pull apart with pink cheeks. Tony looks up from the kitchen, a dish-towel thrown over his shoulder, and beams. 

“Scary-Spice!” He says, and Peter nods MJ into the living room. The elevator closes behind them. Tony puts the dish-towel onto the counter and moves around the island to shake her hand. “Pete’s told us all about you.”

“Impossible,” She replies immediately, shaking his hand. “I’m too evasive.” Tony raises a brow and sends Peter a smirk over her head.

“I’m just finishing dinner,” He says, nodding back to the kitchen. “And Harley is just finishing setting the table like he was supposed to do five minutes ago.” He glares before nodding at MJ and moving back into the kitchen. Harley has pushed himself off the couch and saunters toward the kitchen. Peter follows after him, and by extension, so does MJ, out of awkward obligation. 

“Keener,” She nods. He looks back at her with a smirk and sets a pile of plates into Peter's hands. 

“Jones.” He replies. She offers to take silverware, and the table is almost set when Pepper Potts strolls into the area. MJ swears her soul leaves her body and she nearly stumbles with the forks she’s placing. She catches Peters eye and he winks, standing and pulling her to the island, despite her glaring protest. 

“Pep!” He says, catching her eye as she kisses Tony’s cheek. She brightens and meets Peter and MJ near a ceramic pineapple. MJ nearly questions it. 

“Michelle!” Pepper Potts says, and MJ could melt. She smiles. 

“Ms. Potts,” She says. “Thank you for having me.” Pepper grins, wide and warm, and MJ realizes that this is how she commands a room. 

“Call me Pepper,” She says. “And you’re welcome anytime; I kept telling Peter to invite you all over.” She says, and MJ is dazzled. 

“Okay.” She breathes, and Pepper nods toward the table. 

“Peter tells me you want to pursue art?” She asks, and leads MJ into an animated discussion as Tony begins dishing out pasta. 

Dinner went wonderfully, one of the best Peter had had since the snap, and lasted until eight-thirty. He walked MJ back down to the lobby, and then insisted on accompanying her to the subway as well. She smiles while they walk. 

“Thanks for inviting me,” She says, and he nods, smiling softly. 

“Yeah,” He says. “May wanted me to tell you she was sorry she missed it.” MJ grins. 

“I won’t hold it against her,” She says, and they slow down. The subway is about fifteen meters ahead. Peter smiles. 

“I’ll let her know,” He says, and she smiles again, looking ahead as a train begins to pull into the station. They stop, and she pivots to face him. The jacket she’d been carrying earlier is now wrapped around her. 

“You have a good family, Peter,” She says. He smiles warmly. 

“Thanks,” He says. MJ looks over her shoulder at the train once more, and then, turning back to him so fast he doesn’t see it coming, kisses his cheek. She pulls away with a blush and nods. 

“See you,” She says, and then she’s on the train, pulling away from him. Peter blinks, face hot and heart warm, and says it only to the wind she leaves behind.


	7. Harden my Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have nothing to say for myself

May spends the evening reminiscing. She has a glass of red wine in her hands and she's stretched along the width of her couch. The Backstreet Boys play on her phones speaker and she sings along, pausing only to take a sip and turn the page of her catalog. She had gotten the idea in her head to knit a sweater-and-hat ensemble matching Peters from when he was a baby, but realized soon after that she can't knit for shit. Hence, the catalog.

A knock startles her and she reaches for her phone with a furrowed brow. It's a quarter past eleven, and Peter is spending the night at Neds. There's a second knock and she silences her music. She swings her legs over the couch, setting her glass on the coffee table as she gets up.

"Coming!" She calls, and checks the peephole, a shiver running down her back as she sees Harley. She unlocks the door quickly and feels her heart swell at the sight of him. There are tear stains on his cheeks, and his eyes are still glassy, like he may cry at any given moment. He has a barely warm enough sweater thrown over a grease-stained T-Shirt, and a backpack hangs against his leg.

He sniffs. "Hi May." She blinks and stands aside.

"Come on in baby," She says, face feeling flushed as confusion begins overtaking her. Harley nods and sidesteps into the apartment. The back of his neck is exposed with goosebumps. She locks the door behind him and turns, watching as Harley gingerly moves around to the couch. 

May follows, and sits across from him tentatively. She gnaws on her lip for a moment, determining the best course of action. 

"Peter's not here-" She starts, but Harley cuts her off with a nod. As his head bobs, she sees gathering tears in the pools of his eyes. 

"I know, and I-I'm sorry, but-" May shushes him, standing and moving so they're hip to hip.

"Don't apologize; you're always welcome," She says, and Harley sniffs again, nodding stiffly. "I am curious as to what you're doing with that backpack though." She broaches, and Harley looks at it. 

"Tony and I got in a fight," He whispers, and his shoulders quiver. May sags.

"Oh, Harley..." She says, brushing a hand through his hair, and the boy cries. 

"I-I got a bad mark on my Spanish test, and he-he just kept saying how disappointed he was and-and I just snapped May," He sobs, curling into himself more and more until he's practically in her lap. One of her hands grips his shoulder, the other combs through her hair. Her phone pings suddenly, and she casts a single glance to it. 

A text from Pepper reads 'please tell me hes with you'. Reaching past Harley's head, May types a quick confirmation before switching it back off. 

"Shhh," May soothes.

"I told him he wasn't my Dad and God, May I've never seen him like that-" Harley chokes on a sob and sits up so quick May worries he gave himself whiplash. "But it wasn't true, May, he's my Dad and now he's gonna send me back-" Harleys voice breaks, and May feels transformed back to the night of the Ferry, when Peter had said he'd lost the internship. She leans forward, pressing a fierce kiss against Harleys forehead, and holds his head in her hands. 

"Harley, baby; Tony's not gonna send you back," May briefly wonders when this boy became her boy, the same she ponders about Peter. "He loves you, and this was nothing more than a blip on the radar." She says. "It happens to everyone - Peter even said the same thing to me a few years back." Harley blinks at her. Big and childlike. 

"Really?" He sniffs, and May nods, heart hammering only slightly, and she wonders for a moment how tipsy she is. 

"It was just a few days after Ben died, and he broke into tears as soon as he realized what he'd said." She lets the words sink in. "And just like back then; it wasn't because I told him to change his clothes. It was because he was in mourning." Harley has stopped crying, and he looks back at her wordlessly. He takes in a shaky breath.

"It's the baby." He whispers, and sniffs before wiping his face with his sleeve. "It's just - I had a baby sister." He says, and Mays heart breaks. Harleys breath hitches as he continues. "And I'm not - I can't - It's like I'm stuck while everyone else is going a hundred miles an hour and I can't-" May shushes him and pulls him against her chest, not even realizing she had begun to rock back and forth like when she soothed Peter as a baby. 

"It's okay," She whispers - "It'll be okay; It's not your fault" - until they both fall asleep.


	8. Leave the Light On

Two weeks after Harley and Tony's fight, which had been miraculously remedied with the help of May, the two boys sit in the room across from Tony and Peppers. They're backs are pressed against each others, sitting in the middle of the room. Harley's hand sits over top of Peters on the floor. 

"You okay?" Peter asks. Harley nods, only slightly jarring Peter. 

"Yeah," He breathes, and they lapse back into silence. Ten minutes later, Peters ears perk. He nudges Harley and stands.

"They're back!" He says, and Harley smiles alongside his brother. The elevator opens as they turn the corner into the living room and Tony's shining smile is the first thing they see. He holds up two cans of paint triumphantly. Pepper is smiling lovingly beside him, one hand cradling the bottom of her stomach. 

"Let's get ready for a baby!" 

Forty-five minutes later, MJ has joined them, and the walls have been trimmed. Peter crouches on the ceiling to paint the top half of the room, while Harley and Tony do the bottom. MJ and Pepper take time stenciling the flower patterns that will encompass the right adjacent wall. Tony and Harley each give each other royal blue swatches on arms and cheeks, and Peter dips down to surprise MJ with a kiss once or twice, making her yelp and smile each time. 

The five of them sit sprawled across the floor as they break for lunch, letting the paint dry. Peters head is in MJs lap, who sits with her back against Harley. MJ is brushing Peters bangs with her fingers.

"You're gonna be a great big brother," She says, and Peter looks up at her with a crooked grin. 

"Yeah?" He asks, all cheeky, and MJ grins. 

"What about me?" Harley pipes suddenly and MJ elbows him in the ribs. Tony laughs loudly, leaning into Peppers side. 

Surprisingly, Harley has the most steady hand when it comes to helping MJ paint the intricate pink and gold flower design. Peter watches them both with a lovestruck grin. 

"Harls you should take up henna," He calls out, and Harley whips his head around with a shit-eating grin. 

"I TOTALLY SHOULD." 

"Concentrate Keener," MJ scolds, turning with a grin. Harley scoffs, winking at Peter before turning back to his work. 

"Please - they call me Parker-Stark-Keener," He says, and Peter snorts. 

"Can't say I like the sound of that," Tony teases, and Harley turns to see him leaning against the doorway. He snorts in reply. 

"Whatever, old man." He winks, and Tony fakes hurt before joining Peter on the floor. MJ turns and nods to him. 

"Do you have any names picked out?" She asks, and Peter grins. 

"I do." He interjects before Tony has the chance to reply. "Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with Bella." Harley makes a 'psshh!' noise. 

"Bella Shmella; I'm voting for Wren or Celine." He says. Tony echoes Harley's 'psshh!'

"Well as the baby's father," He drawls, eliciting a giggle from Peter. "I like Morgan." MJ flashes him a smile. 

"Morgans nice," She says, and Tony perks, smiling. 

"Thank you Michelle!" He enthuses, then turns to poke Peter between the ribs. "At least someone appreciates my genius." Peter squirms and rolls his eyes fondly. 

"Whatever, old man." He mimics Harley, who turns to him with an exaggerated wink, and Tony snaps his fingers.

"That's it," He declares, a grin slipping past his facade. "You're both going to be terrible role models." 

Across the city, Natasha Romanoff nurses a gin and tonic. Bucky's cat Alpine weaves through her heels and she reaches down to scratch between his ears. She doesn't turn as the door opens, and waits to hear Bucky curse before turning around. He's glaring at her, a hand held to his chest; a symptom of being startled. She raises an idle brow. 

"You've gotten rusty." She comments. Bucky scoffs. 

"At least Sam has the decency to wait until I'm home." He says in lieu of greeting. He pours himself a drink and notices Alpine sitting at Natashas feet. "Traitor." He hisses. Alpine only meows. Bucky rolls his eyes and sits across from Natasha. "What do you want?" He asks. Natasha raises a brow. 

"What makes you assume I want something?" She challenges. Bucky stares blankly at her before downing his glass and holding his hand out. Natasha shrugs and pulls the file she was hiding out from behind her back. Bucky reads the tag at the top and frowns. He meets her eyes across the coffee-table. 

"What does Norman Osborn have to do with this?"


	9. Sugar We're Goin Down

Peter had an essay due today. 

He woke up before his alarm went off, and May made him and Harley omelets before the three of them left the house. May even dropped them off at school before her shift. His phone chimed when they got inside, and a text from Tony read 'Six months today!'. He showed Harley, who grinned, and then talked about how Billie was so excited to give Pepper her gift this weekend. 

MJ pecked him on the cheek before calculus, and Peters essay was due next period. 

Then his spider-sense started going off. He shot out of his desk, banging his knee as he stood with his hand raised. 

'I need to use the washroom!' He declared, and didn't even wait before he was out of the classroom. He stashed his backpack under the sink and climbed out the bathroom window. A text shows up in the corner of the screen just as he reaches Queens. 

'Dude what the hell's going on???' Harley texts him. 'I just found your backpack.'

"Karen, call Harley." Peter says, and Harley's voice assaults him a moment after. "Somethings going on in Queens." 

"Should I get Tony?" Harleys voice becomes worried, and Peter grimaces. 

"Not yet," He says. "If something big's going down then he'll be on it. I'll call if I need help."

"Stay safe." Harley says, and Peter nods, even though his brother can't see it. 

"You too," Peter hangs up and swings the corner just in time for his sense to go off. He drops the web he was holding and begins tumbling toward the street. He catches himself at the last second and swings to the adjacent roof. His eyes widen. He recognizes the man terrorizing the street. 

Harry Osborn grits his teeth as he stares him down. His eyes glow a dangerous yellow, and Peters heart sinks. It was barely three months before the snap that Peter defeated Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. Harry points a glowing finger toward Peter. 

"Spider-Man!" He laughs. "I heard you were back in town!" Peter swallows. 

"Stand down Harry." Harry Osborns eyes gleam. 

"Not this time," He hisses, and suddenly disappears. Peters spider-sense flares, and he whirls wildly. 

"Harry!" He shouts, and turns just in time to see the younger Osborn rearing up for a punch. Peter ducks a second too late and finds himself flailing backwards. 

"Peter you have not reinstalled your parachute!" Karen warns, and Peters heart hammers in his ears as he falls. He starts aiming his webshooters and-

"I've got you kid!" He hears suddenly, and then an arm wraps around his waist and shoots upward. Peter twists in the strangers arm, heart thundering. 

"Mr. Falcon?" He gasps, meeting the heroes face as they touch down in an adjacent alley. Sam Wilson grins as Peter faces him. His face flushes a moment after. "Or Mr. America, I guess." 

"Sam's fine," He says, and Peter nods. His spider-sense pricks and he ducks suddenly, whirling around to kick his attacker into the wall. He hears a small grunt and turns, gasping as his face burns. Natasha Romanoff is recovering against the wall, a small smirk on her face. 

"You're right," She says, meeting the Falcons grin. "He's good." 

"Well you didn't have to attack the pipsqueak to find out." Another voice retorts, and Peter whirls again. Sergeant Bucky Barnes is in the mouth of the alley. Peter swallows, tripping over his feet as he points at the Falcon. 

"Is this a kidnapping?" His mouth betrays him, and Bucky Barnes bursts into unmistakable Brooklyn laughter. 

"Natasha still isn't answering." Tony licks dry lips. Across from him, Harley and Pepper sit side by side, her hand is over her stomach. Behind Tony, May leans with her elbows on the couch. 

"Well at least we know with people we can trust." She amends. No one has heard from Peter since Harley called him before lunch. It's 2:30 now, and the elevator dings. All four heads turn to see Peter standing sheepishly in the opening. Behind him, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson lean against the wall. Natasha Romanoff nurses a Peters Drive-In milkshake. Peter holds up three bags of take-out.

"My phone died?" He says, and Bucky Barnes snorts. 

Tony launches over the couch and reaches Peter a second after May, who wacks him upside the head before grabbing his head in her hands. 

"Thank GOD you're alive." Sam Wilson shoulders past them and into the kitchen. 

"My pleasure." He says, and Tony rolls his eyes as they drag Peter over to the couch. 

"What the hell happened?" He asks. Peter has the decency to look guilty. 

"It's my fault," Natasha says, and Tony snaps his gaze towards her. She perches down beside Pepper, and Harley reaches for one of the take-out bags by Peters feet. "Last week I approached Barnes about a case involving Norman Osborn. I'd been working on it before the Snap; things have only started taking off again a few months ago. When Harry Osborn started attacking Queens, we knew we had to move fast. Spider-Man was in the area, we helped him out a bit, then took him for a briefing." 

"They got me lunch." Peter supplies, evident by Harleys chomping of a chili-dog. 

"He's a CHILD." May stresses, then turns to Peter. "Honey, you know you can't just disappear - and I don't care if Captain America himself kidnapped you - you have to let us know what's going on. Tony was three minutes away from calling James."

"And I take full responsibility, but Tony - what Osborns doing, it's about Peter."


End file.
